Vibratory feeder bowl



Dec. 5, 1961 R. w. BAILEY ETAL 3,011,625

VIBRATORY FEEDER BOWL Filed Aug. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j- INVENTORSRoy w. EMLEY. BY ROBERT L, BREEST.

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ATTORNEY Dec. 5, 1961 R. w. BAILEY ETAI. 3,0 1,6 5

VIBRATORY FEEDER BOWL Filed Aug. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5.ROY w. BA LEY.

03E TL. 15 est 7? 1? as United States Patent 3,011,625 VIBRATORY FEEDERBQVJL Roy W. Bailey and Robert L. Breast, Detroit, Mich, assignors toDetroit Power Screwdriver Company, Betroit, Mich, a corporation ofMichigan Filed Aug. 17, 1954, Ser. No. 450,444 1 Claim. ((11. 198-22t))The present invention pertains to a novel vibratory feeder bowl andmethod of making same.

A feeder of this general character and the means for vibrating it areshown in patent to Devol, No. 2,464,216 of March 15, 1949. The feedercontains a spiral track on a vertical axis, and the vibration is suchthat it has a horizontal component substantially along the track, aswell as a vertical component. The movement is faster in the downwarddirection than upward, with the result that work pieces lying on thetrack are advanced upward.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a less expensivefeeder or bowl assembly particularly in the mounting of the tracktherein. Another object is to assemble the track in the bowl in such amanner that it may be easily removed and replaced by a track in lieu ofreplacement of the entire bowl assembly for a difierent track dimension.

In the accomplishment of these objects, the inner wall of the bowl isformed with a spiral groove corresponding to the course of the track.The track consists of a straight strip of stock. One end of the strip isinserted edgewise in the upper end of the groove and is pushed inward tofollow the groove to its lower end. In this operation the strip becomescoiled to form the spiral track.

The resiliency of the stock is ordinarily sutficient to retain the stripin the groove by the tension of the coil. If desired, however, the stripmay 'be welded to the wall of the bowl at a few spots.

As indicated, only an edge portion of the strip is received in thegroove, and the remainder forms the work supporting track. It may bedesired to slope the track downward toward the wall of the bowl so thatthe pieces will hug the wall. For this purpose the upper and lower sidesof the groove are sloped correspondingly.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a sideelevation of the device, showing also the vibrating mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

A vibrating assembly is shown in FIGURE 1, and although it is fullydisclosed in Patent No. 2,464,216, it will be briefly described here. Ona base 1 are mounted posts or studs 2 for supporting a frame and core 3for a coil or winding 4. Upwardly sloping leaf springs 5 have theirlower ends fastened to the base at 6. The upper ends of the springs areattached to a bowl mounting plate 7, and the bottom of the plate carriesan armature 8 over the core member 4. As the winding 4 is rapidlyenergized and de-energized, the supporting plate 7, is vibrated in ashort spiral movement as described in said patent.

The bowl or feeder has a circular base plate 10 having a crowned orconical upper surface 11 and a bottom, downwardly extending hub 12. Acover plate 13 is mounted on the mounting plate 7, and the hub 12secured upon both these parts. The wall 14 of the bowl is a sheet metalplate bent around the base 16 and having its lower edge fastened to theperiphery of the base by suitable means 15.

To support a track, the inner surface of the wall 14 is formed with aspiral groove 16 extending downward to the base i The track is formedfrom a strip 17 of sheet metal or other material that can be shaped intoa substantially fiat coil. While in fiat condition, one end of the stripis inserted by an edge in the upper end of the groove 16 and workeddownwardly along the entire groove to the bottom thereof. In thisprocess the strip becomes a spiral track. The outward tension of thespiral bent track strip 17, due to the inherent resiliency of the sheetmetal or the like, is ordinarily sufficient to retain the track in thegroove, but the track may be welded to the wall 14 at a few points ifdesired.

The lower end of the strip 17 is received in a. notch 18 formed in thetop of the base it and abuts the shoulder of the notch, into which it issecured by suitable means. The base it is preferably cast aluminum, andin such a case is overlaid with a polished steel or stainless steelplate 1? to avoid discoloring the work pieces. As determined by thenature of the pieces, the plate 18 may consist of another material suchas rubber or plastic. The vibrating mechanism is preferably enclosed ina housing 29. Adjacent to the upper end of the track 17 is supported achute 22, such as a tube or channel for carrying off the work piecesthat have been elevated along the track in the manner indicated.

In most cases it is desired to slope the track transversely anddownwardly toward the wall 14 so that the work pieces will hug the wallrather than slip ofi the free edge of the track. For this purpose theupper and lower sides of the groove 16 are sloped in the correspondingdirection, whereby the track takes the described position.

Heretofore the track has been cast integral with the wall or coiled andwelded edgewise thereto. The described method of fitting the stri intothe groove in the wall is obviously more economical than the methodspreviously in use.

Moreover, the track is easily replaced by a track of different width asdesired. If welded at a few spots, the welds are easily broken,whereupon the track may be pulled out and another inserted in the mannerdescribed.

What we claim is:

A vibratory feeder bowl comprising a bottom, a cylindrical side wallsecured to said bottom, said bottom having a notch therein at a locationadjacent said side wall and said side wall having a uniform, rectangulargroove in the inner side thereof extending upwardly from said notch insaid bottom along a spiral path and extending radially into said sidewall in a downwardly inclined direction, a continuous fiat strip ofresilient material of rectangular transverse cross section having itslower end seated in said notch and having its outer edge complementaryto and seated in said groove to define a spiral track along said sidewall upon which articles may be conveyed, said strip projecting freelyradially inwardly from said side wall at an upward incline wherebyarticles on said strip are urged outwardly toward said side wall andbeing compressed by its resiliency radially of said side wall wherebysaid strip is supported by and maintained in firm seated engagement withsaid groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

